Meet Aprille, Product Support Advisor at Mintra

Based in Manila, Philippines, Aprille is a Product Support Advisor at Mintra, where she combines her passion for helping people with her experience in customer service and the maritime industry. Through chats, emails and ticket handling, she supports customers around the world with everything from product queries to course verifications, helping ensure training and certification processes run smoothly.

But for Aprille, the role is about more than solving technical issues. It is about understanding the person behind each request and finding a way to help.

“Helping people solve problems is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I’m the kind of person who likes to get things ticked off a list, so I'm always driven to get challenges resolved as quickly and positively as possible,” she says.

A career built on helping people

Aprille’s journey to Mintra began with a degree in hospitality and early experience in customer service. She believes those roles taught her the importance of listening carefully, responding quickly and staying calm under pressure, skills that continue to influence the way she supports customers today.

She moved into the maritime sector in 2020 when she joined WellAtSea, gaining valuable insight into the realities of life at sea and the daily challenges seafarers face.

“I understand what seafarers go through and how difficult their day-to-day lives can be,” she explains. “They may have worked a long shift, not seen their family for months and be dealing with the stress of poor internet connectivity. If something goes wrong while they're trying to complete a course or certification, all those frustrations can build up.”

This understanding has shaped the way Aprille approaches support. She knows that behind every request is a person who may be tired, under pressure or simply looking for someone to make things easier.

Growing with Mintra

Aprille continued her journey when WellAtSea was acquired by Seably, which went on to be acquired by Mintra in 2023.

At Seably, she developed a good knowledge of supporting one platform and its users. Moving to Mintra helped her develop a broader understanding of the technology that customers rely on as she works across multiple products, such as TrainingPortal, Acandidate and SafeMetrix.

“When I first started, I was supporting one product,” she says. “Now I'm supporting multiple platforms and have developed a much broader understanding of the learning technologies our customers use.”

Joining Mintra also introduced Aprille to learning management systems (LMS), allowing her to build new technical skills. “It has been a steep learning curve, but I've loved every minute of it.”

Part of a global team

One of Aprille’s favourite parts of working at Mintra is being part of a truly international team. The Customer Support team includes colleagues from Bulgaria, Cyprus, the UK and the Philippines, creating a truly international team with a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

“Being in a remote global team is great because you get to experience different cultures,” she says. “I attend team catch-ups twice a week, and it's always nice to feel connected even though we're spread across the world.”

She also credits her colleagues and manager, Ryan Mitchell, Service Centre Manager, for supporting her development. “The whole team are supportive. There's always someone willing to help, answer questions or share their knowledge.”

Family, culture & the values that inspire her

For Aprille, the biggest benefit of working at Mintra is the work-life balance it provides. She works from home on a four-day work week, which allows her to balance her career with family life in Manila. Her husband is away for much of the week, and she has a six-year-old son, so flexibility is especially important.

Outside of work, Aprille’s focus is family and making memories for her son. She enjoys getting creative and replicating science experiments or making art projects with him. When her husband is off work, they make the most of the time exploring new places or discovering new experiences as a family. Visiting the beach and camping are favourite things to do!

Growing up, there were times when her family had to focus on simply getting food on the table. Those experiences shaped Aprille’s values and her determination to create new opportunities and experiences for her son. “This is something I am determined to change for him. I hope he will grow up with plenty of happy memories and new experiences.”

It’s clear Aprille is guided by strong personal values shaped by family, culture and a desire to keep growing. “My Mom inspires me the most. Her example has influenced the way I approach many parts of life. I aspire to do everything the same way as her.”

That influence can be seen in the way Aprille thinks about family, parenting and the standards she sets for herself. Cooking is one of the ways she stays connected to those values. “I love cooking because of my Mom,” she says. “Nothing makes me happier than seeing her face when I cook something new or make her favourite dish, Kare-Kare. Luckily it’s my husband’s favourite too.” This traditional Filipino meal is made with a peanut-based sauce, vegetables and meat, and Aprille likes to pair it with ‘bagoong’, describing the combination as “a perfect match”.

Always learning

Aprille’s passion for learning extends beyond her work. She loves to read, and her favourite books reflect her curiosity, ambition and the values that guide her. One of her favourites is The Alchemist, which she describes as a book that “tells you about life” and encourages reflection.

She also enjoys Rich Dad Poor Dad, which connects with her personal ambition to build a stable future. This book has helped her shape the way she thinks about money, discipline and decision-making. She returns to the book because it reminds her “how I should be deciding”.

Looking ahead, Aprille is excited to continue developing her technical skills and hopes to learn more about coding and front-end and back-end web development.

Her advice for anyone considering a role at Mintra is simple: “You should definitely join. Everyone is so supportive and approachable. There's always a lot to learn, but with the support from the team, you can learn quickly and settle in easily.”

For Aprille, Mintra has provided the opportunity to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, keep learning, work with colleagues around the world and use her skills to support people every day.